‘Every family has a unique set of puzzles’: Sunderland Public Library to host Intro to Genealogy series
Published: 09-03-2024 11:16 AM |
SUNDERLAND — Have you ever wanted to figure out your family’s lineage but didn’t know where, or how, to start? If so, you may be in luck with the Sunderland Public Library’s coming Introduction to Genealogy series.
Beginning Sept. 10, the library is partnering with local professional genealogist Hillary Schau to give folks a crash course on discovering their roots with a series of on how to undertake research and what resources are available.
A member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and a graduate of the Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate Program, Schau has been researching her family tree since the 1980s.
“It’s addictive and sometimes you’ll lose sleep because you’re hunting down something and you’ll lose track of time,” Schau said. “Each person that comes to this class is going to have something … and they build on that.”
Classes are geared toward beginners and will feature some discussion from Schau before she sets people loose on their research and makes herself available to answer questions.
Class topics to be covered include: the history of the census and what sorts of free resources are available; how to organize genealogy data; military and land records, as well as wills and probate records; and how DNA can be used.
Typical resources, beyond the census, include newspaper archives, vital records (birth, marriage and death) and family histories from grandparents.
Classes will begin at the Sunderland Public Library, 20 School St., on Sept. 10 and will run each Tuesday for six weeks. Advance registration is required and there are fewer than 20 seats in the class, as several positions are reserved for North Star students.
Article continues after...
Yesterday's Most Read Articles
To sign up, visit bit.ly/4dgW47x or call the library at 413-665-2642.